TPN Affirms No Sensitive And Secret Data Asked By Ganjar To Prabowo During Defense Debate

Political Deputy 5.0 TPN Ganjar-Mahfud MD, Andi Widjajanto at the TPN Media Center, Menteng, Jakarta, Monday, January 8. (Tsa Tsia-VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy for Politics 5.0 of the Ganjar-Mahfud MD National Winning Team (TPN), Andi Widjajanto, emphasized that there was no sensitive and confidential data regarding defense requested by the presidential candidate number three during the debate yesterday, Sunday, January 7 evening.

Ganjar called Andi instead asked for data that must be known to the public and it should be explained by the presidential candidate number Prabowo Subianto who also serves as Minister of Defense. One of them is related to the minimum achievement of the TNI or Minimum Essential Force (MEF).

"What we chose were data which was later relevant to the defense debate. Once again, the data is open, not confidential, sensitive information," Andi told the discussion at the TPN Media Center Ganjar-Mahfud, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Monday, January 8.

Andi said the data requested in the debate was also allowed by the Public Information Disclosure Law to be disclosed and consumed by the general public. Likewise with what Ganjar conveyed in the debate.

"Because the data is on the website of the Ministry of Finance, the data is on the website of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the data is also on the website of trusted global study institutions," he said.

"We are important to convey the data to show what kind of objective condition Indonesia is," continued the former Governor of the National Resilience Institution (Lemhanas).

Previously reported, Prabowo did not want to open a number of data in the debate held by the General Elections Commission (KPU). Among other things, related to the essential force (MEF) minimum mentioned by Ganjar and Anies.

Although he said the data presented by Ganjar was wrong, Prabowo did not want to reveal the data he had. The reason is, he will not have enough time to provide the correct explanation so that the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party invites to meet outside the debate event.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives who is also the Deputy Chair of the Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team (TKN), Meutya Hafid, assessed that other presidential candidates do not understand the issue of defense. They are considered not to think about the risk of opening up data in public.

Defense data cannot be opened carelessly. Its nature is a state secret, a confidential. It can only be opened to certain circles," said Meutya in a written statement, Monday, January 8.

"Moreover, this debate is being considered by the whole world. If we talk about it in public, it is tantamount to revealing the secret of our defense to other countries," continued the Golkar Party politician.